Under the French Social Security system, every hospital visit, doctor's consultation and prescribed medicine incurs a charge. Although all employed French people are entitled to a refund of 70-75 percent of their medical and dental expenses, this can still leave a hefty shortfall, especially after a stay in hospital (accident victims even have to pay for the ambulance that takes them there).

The phone numbers and addresses of hospitals and the phone numbers for SOS MA©decins (for emergency doctor call-out) are given for all the main cities; the national number for medical emergencies is tel 15. You will also find the number for the local police station, which can provide addresses of doctors on call, and for pharmacies open after hours. In smaller towns, to find a doctor , stop at any pharmacy and ask for an address, or look under "MA©decins qualifiA©s" in the Yellow Pages of the phone directory. To qualify for Social Security refunds, make sure the doctor is a mA©decin conventionnA© . An average consultation fee would be between 150F/a?¬22.88 and 180F/a?¬27.45. You will be given a Feuille de Soins (Statement of Treatment) for later documentation of insurance claims. Prescriptions should be taken to a pharmacie , signalled by an illuminated green cross, where they must be paid for; the medicines will have little stickers ( vignettes ) attached to them, which you must remove and stick to your Feuille de Soins , together with the prescription itself. In addition to dispensing medicine, all pharmacies are equipped, and obliged, to give first aid on request - though they will make a charge. When closed, they all display the address of the nearest open pharmacy, day or night. In serious emergencies you will always be admitted to the nearest hospital ( hA?pital ), either under your own power or by ambulance, which even French citizens must pay for; many people instead call the pompiers (fire brigade), who are trained for such circumstances and whose number is tel 18.